


Bond with the Tide

by shiinonon



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Implied abuse, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Ocean man and the cowboy bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 00:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14437737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiinonon/pseuds/shiinonon
Summary: I just didn’t want this on google docs anymore. Like and subscribe for more.





	Bond with the Tide

The sea was calm that morning. Grey skies that would eventually part to reveal the glorious sun in the coming days, but all the while chilled everything in sight. With a light jacket on, Kanata stood by the shore, the sea just barely making it to the soles of his shoes. Mouth covered by a scarf, he didn't expect to talk to anybody anyways. He raised his hand to his cheek, only to flinch and gasp as he was stung by the pain. Folding his arms together, he watched the sea move from the horizon. “I wish to be a part of you one day,” he muttered. His old yet good friend was there. He sat and took off his glove, placing it where he knew the ocean would come again. The ocean came back in, only to gently kiss his hand. Smiling, he was happy it regarded him well. He relaxed with a sigh. It was a quiet morning. 

“I knew I’d find ya here!” Kanata flinched with shock upon hearing that. How long had it been? An hour? Two? He froze up, the ocean holding his hand for support. Out of all the people it could have been, and it had to be him. “Chiaki wanted to look for you but, you know, he's been kinda sick! Sometimes an ex-hero’s gotta be there when the real ones aren't available, huh? Haha! Anyway, I’ll be the one taking you home,” Madara heartily shouted. He alone broke the magnificent silence that encompassed Kanata, and it made him feel anxious. The sea cowered at the energy the fellow had, allowing Kanata to dry his hand and put it back in his glove. He fixed his scarf to best of his ability to hide his cheek and slowly turned to face his former friend. “There ya go, let's go home! It's chilly out here, isn't it?!” Madara exclaimed, rubbing his arms. Kanata nodded. Madara turned with an upbeat attitude, but before he could walk he stopped himself. He turned back to Kanata, who looked down at the sand. Stepping close, Kanata became nervous as he was suddenly startled by Madara, who was quite massive in comparison to himself. Madara stared and, in one swift movement, took off Kanata’s scarf. He was about to cast it aside until Kanata caught it with his hands. It was too precious to him. He uncovered a nasty gash in Kanata’s cheek, the wound still fresh. “Ah! Kanata what the hell did you do?!” Shinkai flinched at his words and didn't look him in the eye. Madara expected an answer, but only became irritated when he didn't get one. Kanata stayed silent all the while. He could feel himself getting lightheaded, he felt as if he were out of his body. Madara put his hands on Kanata’s shoulders, which didn't snap Kanata back to earth, but it made Kanata look him in the eye. The large fellow saw how empty Kanata’s eyes were, yet refused to be left unanswered. “Well?” he asked. Kanata’s arms dangled and he started cracking his fingers. “My “mama”...and “papa”...caught me “red handed”...” Kanata slowly spoke. “You see?!” Madara exclaimed, pushing Kanata away and walking close to the shore. Not expecting the sudden push, he fell. Madara quickly turned back to Kanata. “This is why you should have just stayed with your parents to begin with! But no! You wanted to play the helpless kid role!” Kanata paid attention to the ocean, how it grew restless with Madara’s words. “Madara...you know my “parents”...you know my “mama” and “papa”...” Kanata stared at Madara all the while. Madara scoffed. “They're great! You're just ungrateful! And now you got hurt like this like the idiot freak you are!” Kanata never heard him like this. Not since their childhood. He believed Madara had changed since then, he saw it as well. Why did he behave this way? Whatever the reason, it didn't help Kanata feel better about being called a freak. “I’m not a “freak”...” he muttered, attempting to defend himself. Madara heard nonetheless. “Yes you are! Some freak with your freakish friends in a circus full of loons! It's freaks like you that get treated like how you did!” he said, pointing at his own cheek. Kanata held his chest; as it ached with pain. “I’m not...a “freak”...” he whispered, trying to console himself. He quickly recalled how he had been called that all his life. Freak this, freak that. Was his love for the ocean what made him a freak? Was the inability to speak properly because of past abuse enough to be deemed a freak? Whatever the reason was, only one person thought he was such in such a boisterous manner. That person stood near the shore, demanding an answer. That person made Kanata’s life a living hell, but nobody knew it. Hiding, running, panicking, that's all Kanata knew when he was a child. The winds picked up, and Shinkai felt his eyes start to sting, he couldn't. He couldn't! 

As soon as the first teardrop hit the sand, the ocean became overwhelmed with rage. It gained momentum, and before Madara knew it, he was being consumed by the ocean itself. He had no time to scream, but Kanata knew. “Madara!” Kanata called out, quickly running to the ocean itself. His wound burned with the salty ocean, but he didn't think on it. He saw Madara struggling, almost as if the ocean was strangling him. “Don't! Please, don't take him like this,” Kanata cried out, slowly getting closer to Madara. There was just one problem: He couldn't swim. All his life he loved the ocean but couldn't swim in it. The ocean was overwhelmed with rage, it attempted to push Kanata away, as it didn't want him to become collateral damage. Kanata used all his strength, but it wasn't enough. He could feel himself becoming overwhelmed by the rough tides, and soon enough he succumbed to the ocean’s rage. Like a stone, he sank, and the ocean realized what had happened. 

“Kanata! Kanata! Shinkai!”  
Kanata came to, coughing before he could open his eyes. He tasted salt. He slowly came to see his surroundings, Madara held him up, his rather large hand supporting his back. Kanata hunched over and coughed out whatever water was left in him. He saw the ocean, how lifeless it was; Unmoving. He crawled to it, but it pulled back in shame. Madara tried to stop him, but something in his head told him to leave Kanata be. “You're disappointed in yourself, aren't you?” Kanata asked. The ocean did not respond. “It's fine. I still love you.” Kanata reached into his jacket’s pocket and pulled out a small shell. He placed it under his hand on the sand, smiling at the ocean. The ocean timidly held his hand again. “It was an accident. Things happen. You saved my life, I see. You pushed me and Madara back to the shore? Thank you.” The ocean pulled back. “I'll still come and see you, as always. Try to work on your temper, okay?” The ocean came back in, patting Kanata’s hand. Kanata nodded, opening his hand to reveal the shell. “Here, take it. It's my gift from me to you.” The ocean was slow, but it eventually took the shell. Kanata bent down and gently kissed the ocean, letting it calmly rest. Madara slowly walked close to Kanata. “Kanata...about what I said earlier I...I’m sorry. I thought you were...you know, heartless but...you risked your life to save me, even though you couldn't swim. I don't know what to say.” Kanata didn't look at him, but he slowly nodded. “Kanata, why don't you talk to me?” Kanata sighed. He couldn't tell him very well. He was afraid. He looked at Madara after a long moment of silence, both of their hair frazzled from the experience. “You never...’liked’ what I...’said’...so…that's why I kept ‘quiet’…” Madara’s stare softened. “Oh…” he looked away, almost in shame. “You don't talk to me…because of me.” Madara brought his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. “Right…” Kanata saw him shiver, Madara was not used to the cold. He stood and took Madara’s hand. “Let's go home.” Madara was taken aback, but he didn't object. He was chilled to the bone, so anything sounded better than the chilly beach. Kanata waved to the ocean and, for a split second, Madara thought he saw the ocean wave back.

“You're really stupid, you know Madara?” Chiaki scolded. “You know better than to be out by the sea in the winter. I admire you often but not when you pull stunts like this.” Madara smiled, trying to laugh it off. “Hey hey, why not scold Kanata then? He was by the ocean too!” Chiaki took a red towel and started drying Madara’s hair with it, his hair becoming much more frazzled than it was beforehand. “Because Kanata is careful, you know?” Madara huffed, grabbing his sweater that Chiaki dried. Kanata was taking a cold bath, so they couldn't ask him much. “Hey, Chiaki, can I ask you something?”  
“Hm? Go ahead.”  
Madara sighed. “When you found Kanata, what was he like?”  
“What was he like?”  
“Yeah, like what did he do? His behavior?”  
“Hm...he was alittle quirky, he went off and did his own thing while I was at school. Somehow, he ended up learning more than me...but he didn't speak. At first I thought he was mute, but turns out he could speak. It took him a really long time to actually start talking again, and he was only comfortable doing it around certain people.”  
“Like who?”  
“Like me, my mom, my dad...uh...oh! Wataru, Shu, Rei, the other one?”  
“The short one?”  
“The one, the one...ah! Sakasaki?”  
“Oh, Natsume?”  
“Him too. Souma, and Kaoru? And the rest of our unit.”  
“So not a lot of people, huh?”  
“He doesn't even speak with his own parents. But I can't be angry at him for that, I know why.”  
“You know why?”  
“Mm. You grew up with him, right?”  
“Just alittle.”  
“His parents were something. They're the only ones who could ever do something like that to Kanata. His cheek, it's pretty bad. I've seen worse, but he always tries to shake it off.”  
“I didn't even know...Chiaki, he must trust you a lot, doesn't he?”  
“Oh, he does! At least I think he does. To be honest, I feel terrible at times when he lives here. It's not because I don't like him here, I love him around! But...when he has nowhere else to go, when I’m busy…”  
“Ah, I see.”  
“Last night, I had to go to the hospital again. He doesn't have his own key yet, so he couldn't stay here. I guess he ran into his parents and...you know the rest.”  
“And in the morning you called me?”  
“Yeah, and...well, now you're both here.”  
Madara nodded, he couldn't understand but it made him feel sour.  
“All this time I called him names and I didn't even understand 1% of him…”  
“Hey, it's never too late to start learning.”  
Chiaki placed a hand on Madara’s shoulder, smiling radiantly. Kanata walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. “Chiaki, I forgot my clothes.”  
Chiaki nodded. “Don't worry! I’ll get them.”  
Madara looked back at Chiaki, who got up to make his way to the dresser. He looked back at Kanata. Kanata looked back. He blushed. Moving his hair back, he stepped back into the bathroom. Chiaki followed, handing him new clothes. “Hey! How about you to go to the arcade? Bond! That fun stuff? I’ll give you two money.” Madara was about to reject, but Chiaki hushed him. “It'll be a good opportunity for you to get to know each other better.” Chiaki handed him a small bag full of coins. Madara stared at the bag, Chiaki couldn't tell if he was in thought or not.

Madara and Kanata walked through the Shopping District, it was mostly empty with the exception of employees opening their doors to the public. Madara felt uneasy, being around nothing.  
“Kanata, since this is really a bonding thing, how about I ask questions?”  
Kanata stayed silent, he was observing the scenery. After a while, he looked up at Madara. “Sure.”  
“So...what's your favorite color?”  
“...blue.”  
“Favorite food?”  
“Sushi. Fish...in ‘general’.”  
“Favorite drink?”  
“...soy...soy sauce.”  
“That's not a drink.”  
“Hm…”  
“Or it is, it is. Hm...favorite person?”  
“Wataru…”  
“Hibiki? The masked per...I mean...magician?”  
“Hm. Yes...he's ‘lovely’.”  
“Favorite season?”  
“Hm...any...any are good ‘times’ to see the ocean…”  
“You like it a lot don't you?”  
“I do...she's kind…”  
“Oh, I see. Favorite TV show?”  
“Hm…”

Their conversation went on like that for some time. Madara asked all the questions. During that time, they made quick stops to different shops. To the toy store, a coffee shop, others places of the sorts. Madara was astonished when Kanata smiled, it was the first time he saw him smile in so long. He felt hurt at the same time, hurt by his own actions in the past. He promised himself he would be better, to be there now than never. There was still things he knew that couldn't be fixed quickly. However, he knew that it could be sorted out with time. This was just an exercise to get them better acquainted. He wanted to hold Kanata’s hand, he wanted to be a good friend. He stopped himself. ‘No, not right now,’ he thought to himself. They stood in front of the arcade, Kanata hesitated. “What's wrong, Kanata?” Madara asked. Kanata sighed. “Today has been ‘hectic’. It's not even ‘noon’ yet.” Madara looked away. He was right. They were rushing things. Kanata sat on the bench outside of the arcade, Madara following his actions and doing the same. It felt awkward, they both knew it. “I’m sorry, Kanata.” Kanata sat back. He breathed in the cool air, it wasn't salty. He missed it. “What if we sit out here? Just for alittle,” Madara offered. Kanata rested his head back and shut his eyes. He accepted that as an “OK” and hunched forward. He glanced at Kanata again, and realized how soft he looked. Without the sun in his eyes, he could see Kanata’s warm completion. He thought how it was a shame that he couldn't have been kinder to Kanata, how he couldn't have been closer to him. He furrowed his brows, and sighed. ‘Maybe one day,’ he thought. He recalled how he saw Kanata’s almost lifeless body and wondered how he could be doing just fine now. But again, he was Kanata. He was a book full of secrets and little by little, he was determined to read every single page.

**Author's Note:**

> \- It’s a personal headcanon of mine that Kanata was raised in a poor household. Others would include only speaking with parenthesis with those he isn’t uncomfortable with and being partly homeschooled during his youth.  
> \- Also Kanata is dating Wataru but is open for poly relationships.  
> \- Madara is a big boy!


End file.
